Nie Qingrong stopped dwelling on the topic and simply tapped her head with her fan, saying, "Girl, look behind you."
Nie Qingyue turned her head and saw Yan Shu standing quietly at the door, carrying several oil paper rolls in her left hand and a lacquered wooden food box in her right hand.
...Red date and barley porridge at Bazhen Pavilion, vegetarian seven-flavor porridge at Qingxinlou, bamboo leaf green tea at Pingshui Inn, pumpkin cakes at the alley entrance, rice cakes at the end of the street...and even bright red candied hawthorn.
"Husband?" Looking at the table laid out with a dazzling array of food, Nie Qingyue felt a strong sense of unease. These were all medicinal porridges and vegetarian dishes that often appeared in Miss Nie's boudoir, as well as snacks that Nie Qingrong often secretly bought for her when she was a child.
Yan Shu remained calm and did not reply, but Nie Qingrong answered with great satisfaction: "These are all things that the girl likes. It's time for brother-in-law to do the errands. Second brother is getting old." Her smug and gratified expression left Nie Qingyue speechless.
Was I overthinking things? Yes, I was overthinking things. For a few seconds, countless rhetorical questions burst forth from Nie Qingyue's heart, a mixture of suppressed emotions and surging feelings.
Given Yan Shu's excellent performance in completing the task, the second young master of the Nie family was in a good mood. He left the east wing after saying "Take your time eating."
Even with a table full of delicious food, Nie Qingyue had no appetite. After a moment of trepidation, she stood behind Yan Shu and silently reached out to gently pat his back. They'd bought everything from Bazhen Pavilion to Qingxin Tower, from one end of the alley to the other. No wonder Nie Qingrong said Yan Shu wouldn't be back anytime soon.
Before he could land many punches, Yan Shu's large hand grabbed him, and he was pulled forward and turned around, then pressed back down into the chair next to him.
"What's wrong?" he asked her first, holding her shoulder.
After a moment's thought, Nie Qingyue looked up and replied with utmost sincerity, using a familiar phrase: "My husband has worked hard."
Yan Shu paused for a moment, then said, "I was asking you what's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"The way Madam looked at me when she turned around just now," Yan Shu paused, "was very pitiful."
"...It's nothing." Second brother is terrifying, Nie Qingyue thought to herself with a sorrowful expression, but compared to that, she said, "Husband, you've been running around all afternoon, go and rest."
Yan Shu remained silent for a few seconds, then his concerned brows relaxed, and he smiled calmly: "Madam, compared to practicing swordsmanship from dawn to noon, this trip has been very relaxing for both body and mind."
An arrow called guilt pierced someone's conscience, which was not large in area or volume.
After careful consideration, Nie Qingyue said, "...Husband, why don't we elope?"
I will try my best.
Chapter 28 - Gold, Silver, and Valuables: Essentials for Running Away (Part Two).
As summer draws to a close and autumn approaches, the weather is already quite cool.
However, sitting in the hexagonal pavilion by the small bridge, Nie Qingyue felt that the temperature was just right. Perhaps it was because the moonlight was too gentle and the stars too bright, or perhaps it was because the autumn robe that someone had just draped over her, still warm and fragrant with medicine, was too comfortable and soft.
He had lured the man out under the guise of moon-viewing, but after gazing at the moon for a short while, the man simply sat there, hugging his knees in a daze. The tension he had felt during the day in front of the second young master of the Nie family had completely relaxed, leaving him feeling calm and at ease. He no longer needed to wake up in the middle of the night feeling lost and panicked, as if he had been transported back in time; he no longer needed to continue that seemingly pleasant but ultimately aimless waiting.
This person has really come back. He's right here, right in front of me. I could reach out and touch him.
"lady?"
"Hmm?"
“You’ve been staring at me for a long time.” Yan Shu, who had been focused on the moonlight, turned to look at her with a slight smile.
"...Um, um." She hurriedly withdrew her overly intense gaze, and the previously tranquil and peaceful atmosphere seemed to be tinged with a slightly awkward ambiguity.
Yan Shu, quick-witted and agile, grabbed Nie Qingyue, who was trying to subtly move away. "If you move an inch next time, Madam, I'll move a foot closer." Hmm, it's not good to be so thin-skinned. How will he tease her in the future?
Nie Qingyue obediently stopped what she was doing, blinked, and remained silent for a long time.
"When are you going back?" He decided to change the subject first.
Nie Qingyue shook her head: "I don't know." She hadn't figured out Nie Qingrong's attitude towards her yet, and leaving too early would only arouse suspicion.
"Didn't you say you were going to elope?" Yan Shu chuckled, recalling the question she had blurted out after a long, thoughtful pause that afternoon.
Nie Qingyue nodded, stretched out her hands and shook them, pulling out a few copper coins and silver ingots from her wide sleeves: "It seems... not enough for the travel expenses." The faint self-reproach and annoyance on her face were not fake.
Yan Shu carefully picked up the silver coins and placed them in her hand, saying, "If you're going to elope, just bring your lover."
Nie Qingyue continued to nod, completely unaware that the distance she had created earlier had been unknowingly closed by Yan Shu. "I just feel that my elder brothers are making things difficult for my husband, and there's nothing I can do to help."
"...They were just concerned about the lady."
"=口= How much concern do you have to torment your husband? I always feel like you two are enemies." Nie Qingyue pricked up her ears and muttered, rarely seeing Yan Shu so hesitant.
"It's a long story."
"Then let's get to the point."
“Your elder brother thinks I’ve taken a concubine.” Yan Shu readily summarized this.
"Huh?" Nie Qingyue almost fell backward on the long stone bench, but caught Yan Shu's outstretched hand. He then yawned and teased, "What's your name? When are you bringing him back so I can see him?"
Yan Shu didn't reply. He helped her swaying body up and carried her back to her boudoir in the west wing.
The person lying next to me, fully clothed, was breathing steadily, as if they had already fallen asleep.
Nie Qingyue tucked herself in and quietly opened her eyes in the dim light. Aside from the days when Yan Shu stayed by her side day and night while she contracted the plague, this seemed to be the first time they had slept together on a night like this. ...How could anyone possibly sleep like this?
Nie Qingyue turned her face away; the dim light was only enough for her to vaguely make out the outline of Yan Shu's face. At night, her senses seemed to become more acute, and Yan Shu's even, long breaths seemed to rise and fall not far from the tip of her nose.
She was the one who felt sleepy first, but Yan Shu fell asleep shortly after lying down.
A person who is always carefree and easygoing can live a simple and frugal life with a clear mind and a refreshed spirit. These past few days, the two young masters of the Nie family have been taking turns tormenting and making things difficult for him, but Yan Shu has always appeared calm and cooperative, though he must be exhausted. When she saw the faint dark circles under his eyes in the east wing this afternoon, she couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
Nie Qingrui had hinted at the matter of taking a concubine to her these past few days. There's no smoke without fire; the eldest brother of the Nie family wouldn't falsely accuse his brother-in-law without reason. But since Yan Shu didn't bring it up, she didn't ask. This wasn't just an agreement, but also a matter of trust. Nie Qingyue knew nothing about what he had experienced during their six months apart; she only knew that those around her wouldn't do such a thing. At least, they wouldn't have done it without prior notice.
Nie Qingyue thought about many things over and over again, and fell asleep with a mind full of hazy thoughts and a chaotic vision. When she finally opened her eyes, it wasn't dawn—she was awakened by Yan Shu gently patting her cheek.
It was already quite late at night, and even the pale moonlight had completely disappeared, leaving only darkness inside the tent.
"What's wrong?" she asked groggily.
"Madam has been trembling." Yan Shu pulled her cold hands under the covers. She didn't recall Madam having this ailment.
"It's nothing, it happens from time to time."
"Um?"
“I went back to the village to watch the sunrise before the New Year and encountered wild animals. I must have been terrified.” She was silent for a while, as if recalling or thinking about her words. Her voice, still half-asleep, was a low, hoarse whisper: “At the time, nothing was wrong, but afterwards I would suddenly tremble or wake up in the middle of the night from time to time. I just got used to it.”
The statement was made in a flat, dismissive tone, but to Yan Shu, it inexplicably made him feel a tightness in his chest: "Why would you suddenly return to the village?"
"Murong has plum blossom tea..." Nie Qingyue answered haltingly, her gradually returning clarity choking her on the rest of her sentence. Looking back now, running over just for a can of plum blossom tea seemed so obvious. Was it really spring then? = =
Yan Shu remained silent, but he vaguely knew the answer in his heart. He hugged the person wrapped in the autumn quilt tightly, resting his chin on her delicate forehead, "I'll make you some medicine tomorrow."
Nie Qingyue felt a warmth in her heart, moved slightly, found a comfortable position, leaned against Yan Shu's chest, and closed her eyes.
A sense of peace and security returned to her, and she was about to fall asleep again when Yan Shu's whisper suddenly reached her ears:
"Madam, you like me, don't you?"
Unlike his usual joking tone, the question, delivered with a declarative undertone, rose slightly at the end, conveying a serious inquiry and a desire for confirmation. Beneath it lay a profound and tender affection, sounding like a whisper in the quiet night.
Nie Qingyue froze, the drowsiness that had just crept into her head vanishing instantly. She was so grateful that it was dark inside the tent and she couldn't see each other's expressions. A tingling, burning sensation spread through her, as if blood was rushing from her neck to her ears and cheeks.
I always felt that Yan Shu would eventually realize something, but it was quite another thing for him to admit it himself.
The silence was short, yet it felt long.
Nie Qingyue gave a barely audible "hmm," her heart pounding faster with each vibration of her vocal cords. Could that low, brief monosyllable clearly travel across that short distance to the other side?
Six months isn't enough time to see the difference between dependence and liking. It wasn't because she couldn't disobey her father's wishes or the matchmaker's words, nor because she wanted to settle down and be content with whatever came her way; it was simply because that person was him that she tried to rely on, trust, and wait for him. As they walked together through this mundane journey, she realized that her liking was almost blossoming into love.
The feeling after admitting it wasn't the anxiety I'd imagined; instead, it was a sense of relief and peace. The worst outcome was that he didn't love me, but there would certainly be no harm done.
His hands, wrapped around her waist through the thin blanket, gradually tightened, and he whispered in her ear, "This time, my lady finally didn't hide."
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Chapter 29 - This time we're really going to run (Part 1).
What awaits me after confessing my feelings?
Nie Qingyue opened her eyes to welcome a new day, but the bed beside her was already empty. After eating breakfast, she wandered around the courtyard twice before returning to her boudoir. She didn't see Doctor Yan, but instead encountered the matter that had caused her the most regret—embroidery.
A fine piece of red brocade was neatly stretched on an exquisitely crafted embroidery frame, with colorful silk threads wrapped around it in neat circles. Nie Qingyue sat in front of the frame for a long time without speaking, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.
She really shouldn't have come back to the Nie residence. How many more times will she have to face this dilemma?!
A quarter of an hour ago, the eldest son of the Su family, a family with a long-standing friendship, personally delivered an invitation to the wedding banquet next month, and also requested a double-sided embroidery by Miss Nie for his fiancée. Putting aside the friendship and interests between the Nie and Su families, the brotherhood between the Nie brothers and Su Zhibai, who had been together since childhood, made the request not unreasonable at all. Nie Qingrong readily agreed after a little thought.
He took the silk cloth to her room and explained his purpose. The second young master of the Nie family then stood quietly to the side and watched her.
The room was filled with the sweet scent of incense, which made Nie Qingyue inexplicably irritable. With her skill level, she couldn't even embroider a simple mask properly, let alone the unparalleled embroidery skills of the Nie family's young lady, who could "embroider flowers that smelled of peanuts, embroider birds that sounded like songs, and embroider people that conveyed lifelike expressions."
From initial panic to eventual awkward silence, Nie Qingyue sat motionless in front of the shelf, her initial good mood suddenly turning into weariness. How long would this constant facing of rejection and doubt last?
"Actually, it doesn't necessarily have to be Yue'er who embroiders it herself."
After hearing about what happened, Nie Qingrui came in and, while talking, got up to pull away the taut silk on the shelf, then added casually, "Qingrong, you can just go to Yujinfang and find a treasure for her."
Nie Qingrong pressed down with her fan, stopping her elder brother's actions: "Does the Su family lack such a small gift for their wedding? This time, they specifically came to ask for it by name, so it would be inappropriate to just give a perfunctory gift."
"So you're going to have to put in all that effort, Yue'er? You know how mentally taxing embroidery is." Nie Qingrui glanced at the tired-looking Nie Qingyue, then reached out and pushed aside the ivory fan, loosening the thread and pulling the coral-red brocade into his hand.
Nie Qingrong did not answer, but looked at Nie Qingyue with an inscrutable expression for a while before turning around and leaving the room.
The eldest brother of the Nie family comforted her for a few words as she sat there in a daze, and then chased after her.
She slumped onto the table, her heart filled with a sense of bewilderment and exhaustion. Half-asleep, she heard the low voices of several maids talking, their voices drifting in from afar.
"Did you see the young master's face just now? It was really scary."
"Yes, I've been here for eight years and I've never seen the young master so angry."
"Hey, the two young masters have been very close since they were young. I really don't know what's going on this time."
"It's hard to say. They're still arguing in the pavilion, and the second young master even kicked out the servants who were cleaning."
Nianyu's deliberately lowered voice rang out with the sound of footsteps: "Miss is resting in her room. What are you all doing gossiping together? Go get to work."
As soon as he finished speaking, Nie Qingyue pushed open the carved wooden door.